I just read the book "Wheat Belly" and it scared the crap out of me. And I cannot deny, my joint pain goes waaaaay up when I hit the wheat products. Has anybody given up the devil wheat gluten? If so, what kind of differences, if any, has it made to your process and your body?

Patty, I don't do wheat as a rule. Hasn't ever agreed with my body. When I eat it, I ache, I bloat, my GI tract is whacked, and my skin gets weird. So for me, it's good bread about three times a year (which is easy, 'cause most bread isn't worth it) and a few challenges with travel.
I don't replace it with anything. If I were more creative, I might, but it's not a big deal when you're used to it.
I skimmed that book and enjoyed it, but he was preaching to the choir.
Hope it goes well for you.

I just read the book "Wheat Belly" and it scared the crap out of me. And I cannot deny, my joint pain goes waaaaay up when I hit the wheat products. Has anybody given up the devil wheat gluten? If so, what kind of differences, if any, has it made to your process and your body?

She also works at a famous restaurant that is known for wheat. She may know a few gluten free recipes. Check out her journal.

I have used very small amounts of almond & coconut flour mixed in with a bit of xanthum gum for pancakes before. The PHD recommends tapioca flour & rice flour, which I have not tried, but am looking forward to.

I should but I don't always being as how I am allergic to wheat. BUT when I am completely wheat free I do not try to replace bread and wheat products. Just eliminate the wheat and go on. After awhile you don't even miss it.
I make a pretty good flaxseed pancake though.

We avoid wheat as some of the additives in flour are a problem for our family(son and mother have a citric acid/ascorbic acid intolerance). We don't try to replace it with anything and as time goes by we don't miss it much. I can bake with specific flours so we have it occasionally when I have the time for baking but I have to really want it. I do think wheat makes me hungrier. I thought it was all carbs until the potato hack proved that wrong to me. Does the book talk about increased appetite with wheat or is it more of a GI problem with wheat? I think I will add it to my reading list.

I am wheat free, I feel terrible when I do happen to eat something with it in (like on the holiday that just passed), bloated, GI problems, tired.
If I want muffins or cupcakes etc, I'll use almond flour and/or coconut flour.
I've tried flax and it didn't agree with me either, and I just didn't care for the taste, so I don't use it.

We avoid wheat as some of the additives in flour are a problem for our family(son and mother have a citric acid/ascorbic acid intolerance). We don't try to replace it with anything and as time goes by we don't miss it much. I can bake with specific flours so we have it occasionally when I have the time for baking but I have to really want it. I do think wheat makes me hungrier. I thought it was all carbs until the potato hack proved that wrong to me. Does the book talk about increased appetite with wheat or is it more of a GI problem with wheat? I think I will add it to my reading list.

The book has a whole chapter about why wheat makes people hungrier, so it's not just you, it does the same thing to me. There's a wheat polypeptide that actually binds to the brains opiate receptors, and this effect can be blocked by the opiate blocking drug naloxone. Freaky, huh? no wonder I can't stop eating cookies and bread!
--patty

I believe I'm alergic to gluten..so I stopped anything with wheat...I found some gluten free pasta that was pretty good..also found some breads online, from Julian's Bakery..I bought one at a local health food store...and it was pretty bad...like rubber to chew,and it cost almost 8 bucks for one loaf...so I can't recommend it..I guess I need to read that book also, thanks for sharing about it.

Patty, I don't do wheat as a rule. Hasn't ever agreed with my body. When I eat it, I ache, I bloat, my GI tract is whacked, and my skin gets weird. So for me, it's good bread about three times a year (which is easy, 'cause most bread isn't worth it) and a few challenges with travel.
I don't replace it with anything. If I were more creative, I might, but it's not a big deal when you're used to it.
I skimmed that book and enjoyed it, but he was preaching to the choir.
Hope it goes well for you.

More power to you for going cold turkey. My problem is I love to bake, it'll be so hard to give it up. Even though I've experimented with some gf substitutes with varying results, I know my insulin will be happier if I don't hit it with alot of starchy wheat substitutes. Guess I will just have to find some alternative creative outlets...
--patty

I go through cycles. One day I eat something with wheat or gluten in it and have a horrible reaction. So I stop eating wheat/gluten. Then a month or so later I try it again (usually in the form of one of my sister's amazing pies or breads) and nbd. Maybe I am allergic to some additive?

I read the book several times. And I am old enough to remember when the new dwarf wheat appeared and 'saved' the world.

Anyway, I rarely eat anything with gluten in it. But, by nature, I seem to be Primal with desserts

Oh, in my experience gf breads need to be refridgerated/frozen and are only - and barely - palatable when toasted. And, as Dr D says in the book, most gf products are very high calorie with additives that are vewwy, vewwy high on the glycemic index - highly questionable for anyone with blood glucose issues.

Well I've had loads of wheat over Christmas and my back is really aching. Maybe that's the reason?

I've read Wheat Belly and it's very convincing. Thank god Christmas is nearly over now and I can stop having to eat wheat. With al the pudding and pies you really are a party pooper if you try to be wheat free.

You can make wonderful cakes with just almond flour so that's what I do normally.

More power to you for going cold turkey. My problem is I love to bake, it'll be so hard to give it up. Even though I've experimented with some gf substitutes with varying results, I know my insulin will be happier if I don't hit it with alot of starchy wheat substitutes. Guess I will just have to find some alternative creative outlets...
--patty

I cook quite a lot and don't eat wheat or any other grains. I don't miss bread; I use flax crackers and raw veggies as "cracker/bread" replacements, and zucchini noodles, shiritaki, and steamed greens where I would once have used noodles or rice.

Consider trying some of the paleo and primal cookbooks. I like "Paleo Comfort Foods," "Practical Paleo," "Well Fed," "The Primal Blueprint Cookbook." There are some recipes for baking, but more for making tasty and interestingly spiced savory dishes (main dishes, vegetables, side dishes). Maybe you could use non-baked goods cooking as your creative outlet? Or maybe the recipes using nut meals and coconut flours would work as occasional treats for you?

I hope you find something that works for you. When I started eating lowcarb a year ago, I would have been quite upset at the idea of going without grains for the year or the rest of my life, and now I think it's one of the best decisions I ever made.

I'm interested in gluten-free eating and am working towards it. I bought a couple of books when I was on vacation recently and have found a number of Paleo and Gluten Free posters on Pinterest. I also like Chocolate-Covered Katie who is vegan. If you click on her nutritional info she has changes for her recipes that make them sugar free, gluten free, and even soy free.

__________________
"I can never take for granted the euphoria produced by a cup of coffee. I'm grateful every day that it isn't banned as a drug, that I don't have to buy it from a pusher, that its cost is minimal and there's no need to increase the intake. And thanks to the magic in a cup of coffee, I'm able to plunge into a whole day's cheerful thinking." Anita Loos

DW has been told that she should not touch gluten with a 10 foot pole. She's not ready to make that switch, but I'd love to give it a whirl for her. I'm not sure that it has a huge effect on me although I'm sure in many ways I'd be better with out it. I don't know if you have a Home Goods where you live but at the 2 Home Goods by me they have a really big selection of gluten free yummies. I may have to buy a few and see if DW could be convinced to give it a try.

Me again. I found that trying to find wheat substitutes was an expensive hobby that took up a lot of my time and money. Buying ingredients with high hopes and ending up with something the dog would not eat. Just a perspective from my life. If I want a cookie I eat a real cookie. BUT most of the time I am pretty good unless carrot cake is involved.

So my advice is just give it up. Not try to find replacements.

For 2013 I plan on sticking to my wheat free diet that I have managed to stick to for many years except for this past year. JUDDD allowed me a little too much freedom but I am about over that I hope and can knuckle down to what is best for me. I took allergy shots for years for the wheat allergy so can tolerate some but I can tell when I have overdone it. BACK TO THE BASICS!!! I read Wheat Belly but thought it more of a scare monger type book.

While I was growing up, we rarely ate wheat at my house. My mother used rice. I can't remember her EVER cooking spaghetti or macaroni. She cooked cornbread. A sandwich was a very rare thing. We had a garden and raised our own beef, hogs and chickens although we weren't farmers. We had regular meals of veggies and meat. And cornbread. We only had wheat rolls twice a years at Thanksgiving and Chiristmas.
Maybe that is why I can easily go without it when I make up my mind. Sorry I am rambling but that is the way DH and I are eating now. And I think we are both healthier and just plain feel better. He still eats bread since he was raised on it and can't let it go though.

Well, I stayed up and watched the Dr. William Davis youtube channel and it explains a lot to me in what I have experienced. He is a cardiologist who discovered several years ago that when he took his patients off wheat to help with blood sugar issues, they came back with much more benefits than just blood glucose improvement! Benefits in other areas included but not limited to weight loss, allergies, asthma, arthritis, bronchial issues, crohn's, IBS, and the list goes on.

I became wheatfree in 2009 when I went on the Hcg Protocol for 60 days. I believe that if anyone wants to discover where their health issues are, the elimination diet is the way to go. I noticed immediately that the bronchitis that I suffered with annually with asthma completely went away. I thought it was because I dropped weight and eliminated sugar, but I now believe after watching his video that it more than likely was the wheat!

I tried to add wheat and grains back in when I began JUDDD last February. I was so disappointed to learn that I felt the same symptoms that Kristin describes. My digestion was horrible and just felt like I had a bad hangover. I also noticed my hunger was over the top on the preceding DD. Making the DD very excruciating and almost unbearable. It really is the wheat that was my issue all along! I don't do well with sugar, but really limit it pretty much because of being wheatfree. It is interesting to me that almost anything that contains gluten also contains sugar. And I agree w/ Nancy, that most of the gluten free breads are loaded w/ sugar.

I would rather have no bread, than to eat something that is loaded with sugar.

Patty, I also found an excellent blog by someone who goes by the name "Gluten free Goddess". She has a wonderful "how to" guide on how she went gluten free and at the end of the guide, she explains how she makes her gluten free breads and deserts. Lots of recipes. Just in case you want to save money and not invest in a GF cookbook.

I became wheatfree in 2009 when I went on the Hcg Protocol for 60 days. I believe that if anyone wants to discover where their health issues are, the elimination diet is the way to go. I noticed immediately that the bronchitis that I suffered with annually with asthma completely went away. I thought it was because I dropped weight and eliminated sugar, but I now believe after watching his video that it more than likely was the wheat!

Is the elimination diet an actual diet where you test out certain foods and your reaction to them?

I was low-carbing for a long time before JUDDD, but I never took care to make sure I was wheat free. I was surprised to learn there's wheat in the most unexpected places (soy sauce?) so I know I haven't been completely wheat free. I know I'm reacting badly to certain food (skin problems, horrible cramps during TOM, irritable bowel and sometimes constipation) but I can't figure out if it's wheat, or fructose or dairy. I was thinking about getting rid of all three in 2013 and trying to figure it out.

Everyone I know who gives up wheat has had a positive reaction, there must be something to it!

The Elimination Diet is pretty stressful and tough, but it is worth it if you suffer with any of the following health/digestion issues. The Elimination Diet can help you pinpoint where you problem/allergy is? Many children are diagnosed with lactose or gluten intolerance with the Elimination Diet. If you google, you can find a wealth of info.
From the Whole Life Nutrition site...

Who should go on an Elimination Diet?

People who experience or have the following symptoms will greatly benefit from going on this diet:

I can't link it here, but the blog that the I mentioned above "Gluten - Free Goddess" has a section on her blog entitled, "How To Go Gluten Free". It is basically the same thing as food elimination, but she started out simple then worked her way to zero gluten whatsoever.

I am not wheat free. I tried the substitutes when I was LCing, but only because it was something I could eat that was not fat or meat, lol. I really don't eat much bread and when I do have some in the house, it usually ends up getting thrown out because of mold. I don't care for sandwiches, eat cookies sometimes, love cake but rarely buy/bake it...so, I don't think it's a problem for me. I do like having the option to eat "real" baked goods on UD's if I want them.

__________________

"Never give up on a dream just because of the length of time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway."

Is the elimination diet an actual diet where you test out certain foods and your reaction to them?

I was low-carbing for a long time before JUDDD, but I never took care to make sure I was wheat free. I was surprised to learn there's wheat in the most unexpected places (soy sauce?) so I know I haven't been completely wheat free. I know I'm reacting badly to certain food (skin problems, horrible cramps during TOM, irritable bowel and sometimes constipation) but I can't figure out if it's wheat, or fructose or dairy. I was thinking about getting rid of all three in 2013 and trying to figure it out.

Everyone I know who gives up wheat has had a positive reaction, there must be something to it!

Wow, super great input and ideas juddd buds, thank you so much! I do wish I was one of those people who wouldn't miss bread and baked goods, and didn't grow up with wheat at every damn meal....but. So it's a harder road. I have no doubt I'll find my way, somehow or other.

Here's a quick and way easier alternative to an elimination diet I came across in a book. First thing in the morning before eating, take your resting pulse. Then eat a small serving of the food you want to test. And that means JUST that food--no additives, no salt, no nothing. For wheat, I crunched down a Shredded Wheat biscuit, dry, cause that's the only wheat product I could find that was JUST wheat. Then wait 30 minutes and take your pulse again. If it's increased by more than 15 points, you most likely have a sensitivity to that food. I was skeptical, but tried it with a bunch of things--rice, corn, dairy--wheat was the one thing that shot my pulse right up. Our bodies seem to know, the hard part for me is learning to listen to it instead of dictate to it...
--patty

That's so interesting Patty! I have always had my heart pound after eating carby/sugary foods. But what I don't know is whether it's the wheat, the sugar, or whatever other thing might be in there. I may have to try that on some different foods!

I bought a new bunt pan yesterday and think I will try it again. I have grated fresh carrots instead of the frozen.

Cake is made and cooling although I have already had a slice. Did not have enough almond flour so had to stretch with some flaxseed meal but it worked. I am very happy to say that I have had my first decent wheat free cake and carrot cake at that. Course we won't talk about how many calories.

Thank you for the recipe. Got the frosting made and almost ready to put it on the cake. Can't believe I had "almost" everything I needed for that recipe.